The IPM Council of Canada (the Council) brings together industry associations and groups committed to having IPM as the standard in turf, landscape care, structural and public works vegetation management. The Council believes that science has shown IPM ensures environmental sustainability and minimizes the requirement for pesticides.
The Council consists of up to two representatives from various industry groups with only one vote per industry sector. This ensures that no one sector can have undue influence over the decisions of the Council. The Council is responsible for the general administration of the IPM Accreditation Program.
What is IPM?
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a process that uses all necessary techniques to suppress pests effectively, economically and in an environmentally sound manner. IPM involves planning and managing ecosystems to prevent organisms from becoming pests. This requires identifying potential pest problems through monitoring and recording weather and pest population levels and establishing thresholds to make treatment decisions to reduce pest populations to acceptable levels.
Management strategies may include a combination of biological, physical, cultural, mechanical, behavioral and chemical controls. Equally important is evaluating the effectiveness of the treatments.
IPM Certification and Accreditation
The program is divided into two parts – individuals may become IPM Certified through an examination and continuing education process and facilities may become IPM Accredited through a reporting and environmental auditing process.
The University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus (Ridgetown) is responsible for the administration of the examination process and maintenance of IPM Agent contact information and continuing education status. This information is maintained by Ridgetown on a database and shared with the Council.The IPM Certified Agent must demonstrate their knowledge of IPM, as it relates to golf courses and specialty turf, by successfully completing the approved IPM examination. Applicants may apply to write the exam by contacting the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus at:
IPM Accreditation Program (IPMAP)
c/o University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus
Telephone: 1-866-385-4762 or 519-674-1538
Fax: 519-674-1585
or visit www.ontarioipm.com
IPM Agents may access the Agent’s Portal to manage their registration and continuing education credits (CEC) records by going to the website listed above.
Complete information about the IPM Accreditation Program for Golf & Specialty Turf and the IPM Certification Program for Public Works can be found by downloading the policies & procedures documents in PDF form by clicking on the titles below.
The golf course owner/operator and the IPM Certified Agent are responsible to be aware of the requirements of IPM Accreditation, as defined by the IPM Council of Canada, and that failure to meet the requirements can result in loss of the golf course’s IPM Accreditation status.
2023 IPM Desk Reviews
Deadline for submitting desk review materials for the 2023 reporting season is Jan. 31, 2024. Desk reviews submitted after this date are subject to a $150 + HST late fee.
2023 desk reviews cannot be accepted after May 31, 2024.